Forgetting Innocence
by Fabs G
Summary: *CH 6 UP and COMPLETED!* Sequel to Faking Innocence. Harry & friends happily return to Hogwarts after the Christmas holidays, not knowing that Voldemort already has a plan between his hands.
1. Hogwarts

Title: Forgetting Innocence (1/6)

Author: Fabs G.

Summary: Sequel to Faking Innocence. Harry & friends happily return to Hogwarts after the Christmas holidays, not knowing that Voldemort already has a plan between his hands.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: slight Sirius/Remus. Hints of Ron/Hermione but not until the last chapter.

Warnings: Contains very mild slash (just some kisses, people!)

Disclaimer: Lovely Joanne owns nearly everything here! All I own here is the plot, Professor Fengel and Methilda Shotclear

A/N: As always, this makes much more sense if you read the previous two fics (Judging Innocence and Faking Innocence, both at fanfiction.net), mainly because this is part three of the Innocence series. This although, is much darker than the previous one. The basic you have to know: Sirius is free, he's romantically involved with Remus and they're both teaching at Hogwarts.

Enjoy! Review!

------------------------------ CHAPTER 1: Hogwarts 

The Hogwarts Express soared past woods and mountains and past lakes and rivers as the sun set down over the hills, with most of its occupants ignoring it all expertly. Christmas holidays were over and those students who went home –that is, more than ¾ of the total- were returning to their second home to start the new term, unaware that a most unusual thing was going to happen.

It was customary to receive the students with a feast at Hogwarts, whether it was the start of the year or after Christmas Holidays; what it was not customary was to receive two new professors in the middle of the school year.

For that were the two sleeping forms in Harry, Ron and Hermione's compartment: professors. Of course, they didn't seem much like it right now. Remus Lupin was asleep against the window, features perfectly calm, mouth shut but legs sprawled all along. His mate, Sirius Black whose head was resting in Remus' shoulder, had his mouth slightly open with little pools of drools in the corner of it. His legs, though, were neatly bent. They were quite a sight to watch.

"What a way of sleeping" said Hermione, looking at them frowning, and wondering just how long could two grown people sleep.

"Do they always sleep like that much?" Ron asked Harry, looking at them also. They had fallen asleep as soon as the Hogwarts Express left King's Cross.

"Sirius, yes. He adores sleeping. Remus is a light sleeper –or so I've been told- but when the full moon's near he usually gets more sleep than he normally does."

"Or maybe they had a lot of activity last night" said Ron, fighting a smirk back.

"Ron!" said Hermione, a little horrified than he had actually dared to say what she knew he was thinking.

"Really, Ron, I don't need to hear that about my godfather" said Harry, wincing slightly.

"And I wouldn't want you to" said a groggy voice besides them. Sirius was awake.

"Oops" said Ron in a very little voice and went as red as his hair.

"Did the witch with the food cart pa-pa-pass already?" said Sirius, unable to restrain a yawn while stretching.

"Yeah, about an hour ago. She said she'll be at the end of the train"

"I'll come with you Padfoot" said another groggy voice, getting up after Sirius "It's not like I can get a decent sleep with this chatterboxes around" he smiled at them.

Sirius opened the compartment door, only to bump headlong into George Weasley

"Padfoot! Moony!" the twins had taken a liking on calling them by their nicknames.

"Hey George. Hey Fred" they greeted. No one except Ron, Harry and Hermione knew they were there, or why to that matter, and Sirius had explicit instructions from Dumbledore not to reveal the fact that they would be teaching anytime sooner than the welcoming feast.

"What are you two doing here?" asked Fred and looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione, who were pretending not to see Sirius' very wide open eyes and his jerking head towards the twins "What are they doing here?"

Harry smiled at his godfather, who was trying to leave unnoticed, and then looked back the twins "Ask them. They were just going to get some food"

Fred and George left after Sirius and Remus, who looked at Harry promising to get even.

Not ten minutes had passed since Sirius and Remus had left with Fred and George when the door of the compartment slide open again- but it wasn't the marauders or any of Harry's friends. Much to Harry and Ron's (and Hermione's) dismay, it was Draco Malfoy, flunked of course by his cronies Crabbe and Goyle.

"So, finally managed to get a decent house to go to during the Christmas holidays, eh Potter?"

"Get lost, Malfoy" answered Harry, trying his best to ignore him.

"Of course" continued Malfoy "your concept of decent differs much from mine if it includes an ex-convict and a werewolf and a house that, knowing the werewolf is probably falling apart."

"Go away!" yelled Harry.

"Face it, Potter. You should have taken my offer back in first year, you'd be much better than you are now"

"Malfoy…" Ron stood up and would have punched Malfoy, but Hermione kept hold of his t-shirt, restraining him from advancing anymore.

"Besides" said Malfoy, and he got inches closer to Harry, who was keeping an amazing control of himself "You probably wouldn't be the target of the most powerful wizard around. I have the feeling that you won't last very long with the Dark Lord back to power"

"That's enough!" said a voice behind them, and Harry, Ron and Hermione were delighted to see Remus Lupin at the doorway. Malfoy went even paler than he normally was when he recognized him and Crabbe and Goyle retreated tactfully. "We haven't even began the new term and you're already creating problems, Mr. Malfoy?"

"What- How- What are you-?" blubbered Malfoy, but Ron cut him short "You want to show a little more respect to your professor, don't you?"

Remus merely stood where he was, arms crossed. 

Deciding he didn't want to be there, Malfoy regained some of his voice "May-May I go, professor?"

Remus stood where he was, looking at Malfoy. He didn't speak for some seconds. "Yes. We'll deal with it later."

Malfoy hastily walked past Remus, turned right, saw something he didn't like at all, and whirled around, walking to the left of Harry's compartment. Seconds later, Sirius appeared from the right side of the compartment.

"What was up with him?" he asked with a mouthful of chocolate frogs.

"Malfoy" said Remus "Son of Lucius Malfoy, enemy of Harry since the very beginning of Hogwarts"

"Ooh the famous Draco Malfoy, uh?" said Sirius, looking at Harry "Don't let him get at you"

"Look who's talking… I know, I know. I won't. If it wasn't because ¾ of Hogwarts aren't DeathEater's sons and daughters, Malfoy would be yelling at me 'Voldemort will get you!' any time he could" He said all this very fast and very angry. Ron flinched at the mention of Voldemort's name.

"I said, don't let him get at you"

Harry chuckled "Right. Sorry"

Just then, the Hogwarts express came to a halt and Ron, Harry and Hermione hastily changed to their Hogwarts robes, ready to start a very different term than the last one.

"My dear students" said Dumbledore, silencing the entire Great hall before the feast started. "I realize welcoming speeches and such are only customary of the beginning of the year, but I feel that I need to do one now." He paused for a moment, making every single student in the Great Hall look at him. "I am most aware of your disliking of Professor Fengel. I have heard several rumors, ranging from a simple overload of homework to a very grave making fun of the students. Mr. Fengel is, I daresay, one of the few things the Gryffindors and the Slytherins have ever agreed on disliking together." he said, earning him snickers from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw houses. "But, I have also heard very grave things from my very staff of teachers, and I could not tolerate his behavior any longer. I have fired professor Fengel just a few days ago-" 

The hall erupted into cheers so loud they silenced Dumbledore himself. Even some of the professors cheered. Dumbledore let them have a moment's happiness and them silenced them again 

"I have fired Mr. Fengel just a few days ago. Even though I have hired someone who wasn't easy to convince, he did accept, and I am most glad to announce that Remus Lupin will again be teaching Defense against the Dark Arts.

He beamed at Remus and clapped together with the maddening crowd. The Hogwarts students were so happy to have him back they were cheering themselves hoarse and were clapping extremely hard. Harry, Ron and Hermione cheered and clapped like no other.

Remus was sitting besides McGonagall and Sirius, both of whom were clapping hard too and beaming at him. Remus was doing his best to conceal the wide grin that was being born in his mouth, but was failing miserably and all he could do was smile back at each of the beaming faces of his students. 

Besides McGonagall, Snape frowned his nose as if there was dragon dung in his plate. It seemed Snape's worst nightmare, having Remus and Sirius as colleagues. Harry shuddered when thinking of his next Potions lesson.

When the applause started dying away, Dumbledore silenced them all

"And, as I'm sure you have all guessed, I have one last announcement to make" He turned around and smiled at Professor Flitwick who, Harry noticed looked unusually old. "Our dear professor Flitwick is thinking of retiring" nearly a thousand mouths hanged open in astonishment. Silence filled the entire Great Hall "He has been teaching for over fifty years- almost as long as I have, and that's saying something. Professor Flitwick, the new professor and I have arranged to divide the years. The new professor will take care of the first four years while Professor Flitwick will teach the last three. I ask you to welcome Sirius Black into our staff of teachers"

The applause was not as mad as Lupin's but the Gryffindors, which were more familiar with Sirius because of Harry, clapped so hard it almost seemed as though it were.

"Although Mr. Fred and Mr. George Weasley here are making extremely good efforts to top them, they were the biggest pranksters Hogwarts ever had, so I am a little worried of what exactly they might teach you… However, I am most sure that I have not made a mistake in choosing them. So, before you start throwing curses at me because of your hunger… let the feast begin!"

The new term began as uneventful as it could. Professor Trelawney continued predicting Harry's death, looking at him with huge insect-like eyes.  They were now working with dreams and she told Harry that his dreams were amazingly filled with death omens. This didn't surprise anyone.

Hagrid was teaching them to take care of harmless furry little creatures that resembled rabbits, but were twice their size, jumped about as three times as high as a common rabbit and ate only Fwooper guts. Until it was time to feed them, it was very much like taking care of an extremely caffeinated rabbit.

Of course, they still had transfiguration with McGonagall, Charms with Flitwick and Potions with Snape, who seemed out of his mind in anger at having not only Lupin back, but also having Sirius teaching as well. Harry had Potions on Friday, and was really not looking forward to it.

The Gryffindors had their first DADA lesson on Wednesday, with the Hufflepuffs. Everyone was so delighted to have Remus as a teacher and not the disgusting professor Fengel, nearly everyone arrived unusually early to the lesson.

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the three seats closer to the teacher's desk and waited eagerly for Remus to appear.

"How odd" he said when he entered the class "Did McGonagall leave early or am I late?"

"None" said Harry

"Everyone's just eager to have class with you again" said Lavender, who for the past term had shivered in class every time Fengel laid an eye on her.

Dean Thomas raised a hand up in the air "Yes Dean?"

"Why did Prof. Dumbledore say you were one of the biggest pranksters?" he asked.

This amused Remus "Well... because we are" he said, puffing out his chest proudly. Harry rolled his eyes at him, "Mr. Filch must have said something to him… for some reason he didn't find funny the time Sirius, Harry's dad and I dyed Mrs. Norris bright pink… permanently"

The class gasped, amazed (and delighted) at the thought of Mrs. Norris bright pink.

"But she's gray now" said Hannah Abbott.

"Oh yes, the spell only lasted for a year…"

Now the class really burst into laughter.

Lavender Brown looked like he was extremely curious about something. "So the Daily Prophet didn't invent it, you did go to school with Sirius Black"

Remus nodded "He and Harry's dad were my best friends. Still are"

The class was delighted with this new view on his favorite professor, and although he tried to avoid it, questions popped every once in a while asking him about other pranks.

"If anyone has anymore questions about our pranks" he said to the students as he dismissed them "ask Harry about it. That way we'll be able to actually talk about Defense against the dark arts in class instead of my time at Hogwarts"

Harry squinted at him, knowing the cascade of questions he'll now have but Remus called him back "Just a second! It'll be just a moment, Harry"

Harry told Ron and Hermione he'll meet them at class, and closed the door behind them "What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you- what have you heard about me? Meaning, what are they talking about concerning my- licanthropy?"

"Well, I don't have to tell you about the Slytherins" he started "they don't even like themselves, what with Snape's influence… The Ravenclaws are smart enough to know you're no harm, the Hufflepuffs… are being Hufflepuffs about it- they're ignoring it and the Gryffindors adore you" he finished, with a huge smirking smile.

"You have to understand. It's not like there's a werewolf who's ever managed to keep their job when everyone knows what he is…"

"I know what you are" said Harry "You're practically my godfather and an excellent person and teacher so you better stop underestimating yourself like that. I have to go or Flitwick will kill me" and he left the room, leaving Remus grinning very broadly.

It had been a bright sunny day several weeks into the next term when everything in Harry's world started collapsing little by little. All the 5th year Gryffindors had been condemned to spend the Saturday inside because of the amount of homework they had been given. Remus, having started in the middle of the year had also given them unusual amounts of homework, possibly to compensate the previous professor's lack of teaching skills.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were currently battling with Potions and Herbology, sighing every now and then when something blew up or the essay wasn't quite as long as it was supposed to.

They didn't noticed when the fat lady portrait opened and let Sirius and Remus pass into the Gryffindor common room.

"Aren't teachers not supposed to get in here?" asked a second year

"We're as Gryffindors as any of you" answered Remus, scanning the room for Harry's unruly head.

When Harry heard Remus' voice he spun around and looked at him. The few times he had seen a professor there -McGonagall- had not been cheerful situations.

They approached Harry, Ron and Hermione looking nervously at them too. They noticed Sirius had an edition of the Daily Prophet in his hand, clenched tightly.

"Do you think we could get some privacy up in your dormitory?" every pair of eyes in the common room was watching them.

"Sure" answered Harry and he lifted a hand for Ron and Hermione not to follow them.

The three climbed up the stairs, Ron and Hermione watching them apprehensively, wondering what on earth could now be the matter.

Upon entering the room, Harry happily checked that neither Dean nor Neville were up there. (Seamus was working downstairs) Sirius and Remus looked around, smiling and taking in every detail of the dormitory they had left so long ago.

"Let me guess" said Sirius "That's your bed and that one's Ron's"

Harry looked at him completely bewildered "How did you know?"

Sirius and Remus smiled at each other and as Sirius threw himself over Harry's bed, Remus answered "Because yours used to be James' and Ron's used to be Sirius'"

"No way"

Remus merely nodded "Who sleeps there?" he pointed at one in the corner

"Neville"

"That used to be mine"

"You're not here to talk about beds, are you?"

"No" said Sirius with a voice much graver than Harry had expected. He sat up in bed, with Harry in front of him and Remus besides, holding his hand. 

"Come on, love" he urged him

Sirius seemed to search for words and then he look at Harry's green eyes "There's been an… explosion… in Azkaban. The only person missing is Peter. The dementors refuse to tell what happened."

Harry's stomach seemed to have dropped about 50 feet.

"But… he wasn't going to be kept in Azkaban… That's what they said at your trial"

"Well, you know the Ministry… they said he was being kept in Azkaban for only a day and then he would be returning to his secret location… They were doing some kind of cleaning…"

"It was him. It was Voldemort" said Harry without thinking

"Many think that, yes. The Daily prophet is already scaring the masses" he said, and handed Harry the Daily Prophet he had been holding in his hand. Harry grimaced when he saw it had been written by Rita Skeeter. As bad as the news was, this seemed to be her cup of tea,

**EXPLOSION IN AZKABAN**

**IS YOU-KNOW-WHO BACK?**

"I wasn't going to tell you, actually" said Sirius, looking at Harry "but Remus kindly reminded me of our promise- and I had no excuse. Now, we're in the safest place we could be- so there's not much to worry about"

"Sirius-" Remus shot a warning glance towards him.

"Fine, fine fine. Dumbledore thinks Peter could be headed this way. My way. But if I know Peter enough, he didn't escape Azkaban, especially with an anti-transformation charm on. I think he was taken out of it"

Remus nodded "I agree. I've no idea what for, but I think Voldemort took Peter out of Azkaban"

And Harry then voiced the question that had been in many wizard's minds for hours: "Why would _Voldemort_ free _Pettigrew_?" It did not make sense.

Or so it seemed.

Far away from Hogwarts, a pair of red eyes settled themselves in the sitting room of the abandoned castle. It was nowhere near as big as Hogwarts, but it was spacious enough to provide Voldemort some privacy from his recently freed and overwhelmingly annoying servant.

"Thanks, master, thanks for freeing me"

"It is not a favor, Wormtail, you will have work to do"

"Yes, master, of course… Which will be it?" he quivered

"It concerns a friend of yours." And then he grew silent

The man formerly known as Tom Riddle lighted the fireplace with his wand. Behind him, Peter Pettigrew trembled.

"Wormtail" the cold voice called his servant. His evil red eyes scanned the room; it was dirty, there was blood in various places. There was dust everywhere. "Clean up the place for me" With a swift movement of his wand he had produced muggle cleaning objects for Wormtail, and a rug and an armchair in front of the fireplace in the wall. "And hurry up, you will have work to do later. I want this place to look good for the next time Mr. Potter visits it"

"Yes, master" Pettigrew, knowing better than to ask Voldemort for more details of the plan or for a wand to clean it the usual way, merely subjected himself to hours of breathing dust. It was bliss being out of Azkaban, even if he was with… him.

"Wormtail" called the dark lord again "That friend of yours, the werewolf"

"Remus? What with him?" he spitted.

"Show some more respect, you filthy rat"

"I'm most sorry, my master"

"That's better. That friend of yours, the werewolf… is he dear to Potter?" he knew the answer to this very well, but he loved seeing Peter quiver.

"I should think so, yes. He was even when I was still… 'dead', you know. And I should think their relationship has progressed even more now, what with Sirius living with them"

"The boy's godfather?"

"Yes"

"What would you think would be their reactions if… I do something to the werewolf?"

"With all due respect… Sirius would kill you. And Harry probably would too"

Voldemort chuckled like if Peter had just told a good joke "Good. Your lupine friend will be useful for me to get Potter. I would dearly love to put a werewolf like him to use…"


	2. Gone

Title: Forgetting Innocence (2/6)

Author: Fabs G.

Summary: Sequel to Faking Innocence. Harry & friends happily return to Hogwarts after the Christmas holidays, not knowing that Voldemort already has a plan between his hands.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: slight Sirius/Remus. Hints of Ron/Hermione but not until the last chapter.

Warnings: Contains very mild slash (just some kisses, people!)

Disclaimer: Lovely Joanne owns nearly everything here! All I own here is the plot, Professor Fengel and Methilda Shotclear

A/N: As always, this makes much more sense if you read the previous two fics (Judging Innocence and Faking Innocence, both at ff.net), mainly because this is part three of the Innocence series. This although, is much darker than the previous one. The basic you have to know: Sirius is free, he's romantically involved with Remus and they're both teaching at Hogwarts.

Enjoy! Review!

------------------------------ CHAPTER 2: Gone 

"How come someone study with that bloody giggling!" complained Harry, getting up from his bed and throwing the book across the room, utterly pissed. He climbed down the stairs to the common room, prepared to scold whoever was having such a loud fun.

He stopped right at the foot of the stairs. What had previously sounded as giggling, Harry was now sure it was someone sobbing. It was coming from one of the armchairs closer to the fire. Harry crept quietly and looked who was sitting in the armchair. It was Hermione, huge tears running down her face.

"Hermione!" said Harry, alarmed. He had never seen her like this. Come to think of it, probably no ever one had. Harry run a soothing hand through her hair, taking no notice of the book in her hands "What's the matter? Why are you crying?"

Much to Harry's surprise, Hermione smiled at him, making an odd contrast with the huge tear in her left cheek.

"You're so nice. I'm fine. Just-" began Hermione, but then limited herself to raise the book in her hands. Harry looked at it. It was a battered copy, probably from the library. It was titled 'Hairy Snout, Human Heart' and had a picture of a man in robes patting a wolf. There was no author name visible.

Hermione quickly dried her cheeks and looked at a puzzled Harry. "It's my favorite novel, a wizard classic. It's the account of a wizard who was turned into a werewolf when he was just a child. It was published in 1975 and no one knows who wrote it"

"And why were you crying?"

"Well, the entire book is fascinating and heartrending but now he's talking about solitude and having no friends and I was thinking of our first year, and how we are all close now… I took one from the library two years ago when I knew Professor Lupin was a werewolf. I bought my own this summer and I've read it a thousand times already. It's beautiful."

Harry looked at her a second longer "You're ok then? I mean… I never saw you like that."

"I'm fine Harry" He stood up and headed for his dormitory, but Hermione's voice stopped him "Harry?" he turned around and looked at her "Thanks for worrying"

He smiled at her and went back to his dormitory, vaguely thinking of reading the library copy.

That night, the Hufflepuff common room was deserted when two fifth years entered surreptitiously through the secret passage and crept quietly to their dormitories. They did not notice a rat following close behind them and watching them go to sleep.

Neither did Justin Finch-Fletchly notice the rat turn into a short balding man, cut a lock of his hair and pocket it. He turn back into a rat, crept quietly out of the dormitory and back into the common room, and settled himself to wait patiently until another student opened the passage again and he could return to his master.

"Harry" called Ron over his breakfast "What did they do in the full moon?" he asked, looking at Sirius and Remus.

"I don't know, I haven't had a chance to speak to them. If Snape has been doing the Wolfsbane to Remus, probably just crawl in their chamber"

"Look at Snape's face. Do you think he's doing something for Professor Lupin except try to ruin his life?" Snape was quietly eating his breakfast, pretending to listen to professor Flitwick's continuous blubber about something, but it was crystal clear that Snape was paying attention to Sirius and Remus, both of whom were talking to each other, laughing happily about something. (Snape, most probably)

"Dumbledore wouldn't allow for Snape to refuse to _that_" interrupted Hermione.

"Neither would Remus, come to that. My god, look at his face! He's never even looked at me with that much hatred"

Ron chuckled to his sausages "What, you really thought you could have the exclusivity of Snape's hate? Think again"

"What do we have now?" 

Ron looked at his timetable. He groaned "ARGH what a day! Potions and then Divination"

"Oh joy" said Harry, his voice as flat as it could go.

The Potions dungeon always got icy cold whenever it rained outside, and today was no exception. Everyone waited patiently for Snape to arrive, wrapping their cloaks tighter and breathing into their cupped hands to warm them.

"Today!" said Snape after banging the door of the classroom open and making them jump a foot "we will deal with Portkey potions" he settled himself in front of the class, arms crossed and eyes colder than the day outside.

"Portkeys can be made in two ways- a charm that professor Flitwick will be teaching you anytime soon and a potion I will now teach you. You pour a few drops over the object to be made a portkey while stating the location that object will take you."

He then indicated them to follow the instructions in their books to Portkey Potions, which was supposed to look yellow.

Ron and Harry added the ingredients to their cauldron, sighing heavily at the tiny ray of sunshine that crept through the high window up in the wall.

"Wouldn't it be cool if we made a portkey to the Bahamas or Bermuda or Hawaii and send Snape there?" asked Ron hopefully.

"I doubt it, Weasley" said a cold voice behind him, making both Harry and Ron grimace "I do not like the sun much"

"Which bat does?" whispered Seamus to them, making both Ron and Harry snicker loudly.

"Ten points from Gryffindor!" said Snape, and Malfoy smirked at Harry.

"But professor!" said Harry before he could restrain himself. It was a huge mistake. Snape fumed at him as if he had dared to punch him in his crooked nose.

"Detention then! And let's separate the nice twosome. Weasley, sit with Goyle. Potter go sit besides Malfoy. And better make a good Portkey potion or I'll be the one sending you to Hawaii"

Harry groaned and scowled at Snape, but not wanting Snape to have any more excuses to get more points from Gryffindor, moved to sit besides a still smirking Malfoy.

The next Defense against the Dark Arts class was much more enjoyable than potions, even if it was one of the few theoretical classes he ever gave.

"Today we will be covering a very serious subjects. Many of you, specially if you come from wizarding families, will know that common spells you perform everyday are not the only kind of spells going around. Dark wizards do perform our same spells, the kind you are taught here, but they also have another stack of spells besides the unforgivable curses which are called The Dark Arts spells. These hold a very noticeable difference with ours. Can anyone tell me which that difference is?"

To no one's surprise, Hermione's hand shot up in the air.

"Yes, Hermione?"

"The common spells we perform everyday project nothing over our desires. The Dark Arts spells seem to hold up so much power that they lure the inattentive or naïve wizard to the dark side without them even realizing"

"Correct. Five points to Gryffindor" Hermione glowed at him.

"Swallowed the book again, Hermione?" smirked Ron in her way. She scowled

Remus continued "Suppose any of you, tomorrow, perform a Dark arts spell. The most probable result is that your spell will work, but because you are not experience with the dark arts, the spell's power would enchant you into wanting more. And more. If you happen to have the bad luck of being alone in the world, no family and no friends, it is very likely no one will realize this. Alone, you would be lured to the dark side and you wouldn't even know it. By the way" He added, with a crooked grin "all dark arts spell books are in the forbidden section of the library, quite unreachable for you." He narrowed his eyes towards the end of the class, his gazed fixed pointedly at two people "The forbidden section is also the place two of our students seem to be, judging from the attentive and alert behavior POTTER and WEASLEY are showing"

At the mention of their names, Ron and Harry looked at Remus who, if not mad, looked quite amused. "Harry, Ron pay attention please. This is an important class. Do you think I ever talked in class or caused mayhem?" he smiled as Harry rolled his eyes and Ron covered his face with a hand.

"Right, before Harry and Ron can say 'Look who's talking' shall we continue? Take this down…"

An hour later Remus dismissed the class, and shut the door, but a few minutes later one of the Hufflepuffs popped his head inside, looking at Remus very nervous indeed. "Professor Lupin?"  he said.

"Yes, Justin?"

"Could I have a word with you?"

"Of course. Sit."

Justin Finch-Fletchely sat down in front of his professor, quivering much more than he should. 

"I received a letter from my mother, and she wanted to know some things"

"About?"

"You. You know, as you are a- a werewolf. Security measures she said"

"Perfectly understandable"

"Are you taking Wolfsbane?"

"Professor Snape is making me the potion and I'm taking it everyday before the full moon"

Justin frowned. "What's the Wolfsbane supposed to do to you?"

"It tames me. If I take it a week before the full moon, I become no more dangerous than a Bulldog" Justin looked at him with an expression Remus would have sworn it was disappointed. He whispered something that sounded oddly like "killjoy"

"Do you have your own chamber?" Remus frowned "To be-" he swallowed "to be locked in, said mum"

"I have my own chamber, yes, but I go somewhere else during the transformation, outside the castle"

"You still go to the 'Shack" whispered Justin, almost melancholically.

"How do you know that?"

"I- because-" but Justin stopped abruptly as he saw his own light pink hands grow to the size of a grown man, his right hand returning to the shining silver. His bushy hair was slowly thinning. He took a hand and touched the top of his head- the bald patch was back.

"Peter!" barely a whisper was Remus' voice. He stood up and backed a few paces, realizing that Peter didn't need his wand to kill him. Silver kills a werewolf, and Peter had a silver hand now.

As the polyjuice potion wore out and Peter Pettigrew was back, he leapt into a run, blasting the door off its hinges with the wand Voldemort had produced him. 

Remus went after him wand in hand, throwing body binds and stunning spells at him. But Pettigrew had transformed into his alter ego, Wormtail, and as much as Remus chased him, he was much too tiny to hit him, and Pettigrew escaped.

Peter panted, clutching his side and leaning on the doorframe of Voldemort's room, catching his breath again. He had run all the way out of Hogwarts, into Hogsmeade and apparated to where he now was. 

"Stop panting and come in, Wormtail"

Still breathing hard from the effort, Wormtail opened the door and found his master sitting in his usual armchair by the fire. Three DeathEaters grew silent when they saw him. Voldemort waved a hand to them and they dissaparated

"How did it go, Wormtail?"

"He's taking Wolfsbane, he still goes to the Shrieking Shack… Master, he knows it was me"

"WHAT?!" Voldemort leapt from his chair, wand caught tightly in his hand. "What did you do, you filthy rat?"

"The time of the polyjuice wore out, master, I had trouble finding the Dark Arts classroom, it was changed since the last time I was there"

Voldemort fumed for some minutes and then directed his wand at Pettigrew "_Crucio_!"

Peter fall to the ground, numb and deaf with indescribable pain until Voldemort moved his wand.

"You will repair your error" he said to Peter still writhing on the floor "It is too late to stop him from telling anyone he saw you, I would bet my wand Dumbledore already knows. Tonight, you will get the werewolf. Thanks to you, my plan has been modified. You will pay"

Remus knocked at the Dumbledore's door, panting. 

"Come in" said a cheerful voice from the inside. Dumbledore got to his feet when he saw Remus' white features. "Remus, what is it?"

"It's Peter" he said, catching his breath "He took some polyjuice, and came disguised as a Hufflepuff student. He asked me if I took Wolfsbane and if I went to the Shrieking Shack…"

"How did you know it was him?"

"The polyjuice started wearing out when he was talking to me. He run, I chased, but it was impossible to hit him while he was turned into a rat"

"Did he ask you about Harry?"

"Not a word"

"How odd. Does Sirius know?"

"No, and I think I will not tell him"

"Don't. It'll make him only worried when he can do nothing." Dumbledore paused, immersed in his thought. He stood up from his chair, went over to his pensieve and dropped a couple of memories in it. He returned to his chair and looked again at Remus.

"My contacts have lost track on Voldemort. His current whereabouts are unknown. But, if Pettigrew is here, it strikes me that Voldemort might not be too far. Go check Harry's map to see if Pettigrew's still in the grounds, although I doubt it very much. Voldemort's probably planning something and I think you seeing Peter was not included. Take care, be extra careful in all you say or do. I do not like this"

Still, next morning, Sirius woke up to an empty bed, a missing lover and a dark mark hovering over his own bed.


	3. Hell again

Title: Forgetting Innocence (3/6)

Author: Fabs G.

Summary: Sequel to Faking Innocence. Harry & friends happily return to Hogwarts after the Christmas holidays, not knowing that Voldemort already has a plan between his hands.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: slight Sirius/Remus. Hints of Ron/Hermione but not until the last chapter.

Warnings: Contains very mild slash (just some kisses, people!)

Disclaimer: Lovely Joanne owns nearly everything here! All I own here is the plot, Professor Fengel and Methilda Shotclear

Enjoy! Review!

------------------------------ CHAPTER 3: Hell again 

Remus blinked once. He blinked many times more, but the room was so dark he couldn't see a thing. 

Why did his wrists hurt so bloody much?!

He tried to reach for his wand- and then he realized his hands were tied together. He squinted, trying to see where he was- or why he was there.

In a far corner of a room, someone lighted the candles on the walls. He was in a fairly large room, barren of any kind of furniture. In the furthest corner opposite Remus, Peter Pettigrew looked at his former friend without being able to help the quivering.

"Peter!" Pettigrew did not answer "How can you do this?! We were friends! We did nothing to you!" Pettigrew just stood there, quivering and avoiding Remus' eyes. "Peter!" he shouted.

"Stop it!" Peter trembled, involuntarily raising is right hand. His silver hand. At the sight of it, and much aware of what could happen if that silver hand merely pierced his skin, Remus grew silent.

"Is our guest awake, Wormtail?" called a cold voice from a room nearby

Peter fixed his watery eyes on the door "Yes, master"

The door opened and Lord Voldemort entered, as healthy as in his best days back when Remus was still a student. 

"Hello" he said politely, as though greeting an old acquaintance "I believe we have not met- properly, that is. I am Lord Voldemort. But I think you already knew that. Potter must have probably filled you in our last year's adventure, I suppose"

"You bastard!" he spitted before being able to restrain himself "You will not get Harry, not the way you got James"

"You know, Wormtail?" he said, waving a hand for Pettigrew to get closer, which he did "Technically that is true. I will get the second Potter of my life in a much more different way. Unfortunately, that Weasley friend of his is much too loyal for me to even try to use him or lure him to me. Not like you at all, right Wormtail?"

Pettigrew merely shook his head, not daring to look into Remus' eyes.

"As I am sure you know, Wormtail here committed a much grave mistake when talking to you under the polyjuice potion. He waited too long and you saw him. If it had been up to me, I'd have taken you some time later, when everything had been carefully planned, but the idiot ruined my plans. Now we'll have to wait. I'm afraid you will get a little bored here, for I need you alive."

"If you think I'm going to help you get to Harry you are much mistaken"

His face twisted into a contorted smile "Oh I know you will not help me voluntarily, why do you think I tied you down?" He kneeled down, and his red eyes scanned Remus' disgusted face "I will _make you_ help me. Maybe I'll make you kill Potter too, who knows? The wolf in you will love to have some blood" He stood up, turned around and headed for the door. "Wormtail" he called, before leaving "Torture him every once in a while. I want to hear screams downstairs."

"Y-Yes master"

Voldemort didn't have to wait long for the screams. It took Peter every ounce of strength in his body to do it, but with a faint voice, he said _Crucio_ and Remus Lupin knew pain like no transformation had ever taught him…

Back at Hogwarts, Dumbledore and Sirius walked down the halls, past passages and up and down staircases towards the Great Hall. They had sneaked on the Gryffindor tower to get Harry but found his dormitory completely empty. Sirius, not ready to give up on anything, opened Harry's trunk and fumbled for the marauder's map. Remus, of course, was nowhere in it.

"Do you really think you can handle it, Sirius? I can tell Harry what happened"

"No, I'll be fine"

"I'll tell Minerva to take care of everything- we have to find Remus."

"It feels like going back to my days, Albus- getting the news of kidnapping or murder"

"I know. Let's try to keep it at that. Lord Voldemort will not rise again like before if I can help it."

In the Great Hall, Harry scribbled furiously the last inches of his Transfiguration essay.

"Harry?" called Hermione

"Hmm?" he answered, not taking his eyes of the parchment

"Where are Sirius and Professor Lupin?"

"Must've slept over"

"Dumbledore's not there either"

This got Harry's attention and he jerked his head upwards, confirming what Hermione had said. Just in that moment, a coat of armor to the right of the table walked a few paces, a wall sled open and let Dumbledore and Sirius enter the Great Hall. They searched the heads of students until they found Harry's unruly one, and as Sirius motioned for Harry to join him, Dumbledore got closer to Professor McGonagall. She rose and walked after him. Dumbledore whispered something to Snape as he passed after him, and he merely nodded.

"What is it, Sirius?"

"Outside" he looked unusually white.

Dumbledore and McGonagall followed Sirius and Harry. Sirius turned right, left, climbed two flights of staircases and stood before a stone griffin.

"You fool of a griffin. Let us enter or I'll break your stupid neck!" he said to everyone's surprise. 

It must have been some kind of password, for the griffin jumped from his place and the wall behind him slide open, allowing them to enter to a cozy common room. 

He waved his wand, cleaning the room of all dust and lighting the fireplace, and slumped into one of the sofas, covering his face with his hands.

"Sirius, what-?"

"Harry, Minerva, sit please" said Dumbledore. Harry sat besides him and Dumbledore and McGonagall in the sofa in front of them

Sirius looked into Dumbledore's blue eyes, seemed to gain some strength and looked at Harry.

"There's no easy way of saying this. Voldemort took Remus, Harry"

"What?!" Eyes wide open with shock, Harry leaned back in the sofa, taking in the bad news. "It can't be. No, it can't…."

McGonagall took her hand to her mouth, horrified "Albus, did he-?"

"No, we think Pettigrew took him" said Dumbledore soothingly

"Sirius, are you sure?"

"I woke up this morning with the dark mark hovering above our bed"

"-our bed?" McGonagall looked very white.

"Oh, right you had no idea. Remus and I are back together" Somehow, this didn't surprise McGonagall. She just nodded.

Sirius turned and looked at Harry, still in shock. It could not be happening again. Voldemort had killed Cedric in front of his very eyes, and even when he hadn't been close to Cedric, Harry had required some time getting rid of the nightmares. He had woken up in the middle of the night countless times, ready to run to Cedric's aid, only to realize he was already dead.

Voldemort couldn't hurt Remus. Not now that Harry finally had people he could call family. A special light set on Harry's green eyes as he said to himself that Voldemort would not touch his family again.

"Harry?"

Harry jerked awake from his reverie of fantasies of vengeance and rescue and looked at his godfather. His eyes were again as hollow as they had been after he escaped from Azkaban. 

"Do you know where Voldemort is?"

"No." answered Dumbledore squinting at Harry. Harry felt as though he was trying to read his mind. It felt very uncomfortable. He limited himself to think of a blank blackboard. "I'll be working on that all day, my contacts have lost track of him."

McGonagall looked at Dumbledore "Albus… I'm sorry if I'm not being tactful, but how do we know Remus is alive?"

Much to Harry's surprise, Sirius shaped his mouth into what could have been called a smile. "Remus and I are life mates. Werewolves' mates feel their mate's death"

"So he's ok?" asked Harry hopefully.

"He's alive, I know that much"

"…it wasn't planned" whispered Dumbledore suddenly

"What, Albus?"

"Yesterday, Remus was visited by Pettigrew"

"What?!" said an outraged Sirius

"He was disguised as a Hufflepuff student. While they were talking, the polyjuice potion wore off and Remus recognized Peter. He chased him but could not get him. Voldemort probably thought whatever plans he had made were probably in danger, and that's why they took him"

"No" said Harry convinced "Maybe his plan was to get Remus." Everyone looked at him "Sirius, Remus, Ron and Hermione are the best way to get to me. He gets any of them, and he'll have me trying to save them any second from now"

"Which you won't do" warned Sirius

A feeble plan that involved his father's cloak and the Forbidden section of the library was already forming in Harry's head but he took refuge behind facts and faked innocence "Even if I was to go, we don't know where they are"

Everyone fall silent and wallowed in their thoughts for some moments. Finally, Dumbledore spoke. "Minerva, if you would be so kind of doing some things for me. Ask Severus if he has any problem teaching DADA. If he's ok, announce what happened to the students."

"Certainly"

"And owl everyone who was to come to see me today. I will not see anyone. Sirius, if you want to be excused from your classes-"

"No. No, I'll still teach. Last time I dwelled on anything I ended up in Azkaban"

McGonagall left the room.

Harry stood up "I have transfiguration" he said.

"Harry, why don't you better rest?" said Sirius, eyes worried.

"The teachers won't mind if you miss some classes" offered Dumbledore

"No. I want to go"

"Alright. You know where to look for me if you need me" Sirius squeezed his hand briefly and Harry left the room. He climbed down some staircases and walked to the Great Hall's door, only to find Hermione and Ron coming out of it.

"The crowd's going to emerge at any minute, come on" they said, and they both grabbed one of Harry's arms. They sneaked into an empty classroom, which Hermione locked with her wand. They both looked very frightened.

"Harry- is it true?" asked Hermione

"Yes. Sirius woke up with the dark mark hovering over their bed"

Hermione took her hand to her mouth.

"But- he's ok, right?" started Ron "I mean, you would know if he was- you know. If he was _dead_" Hermione punched him in the ribs

"No it's ok. Sirius feels it." He shrugged "Werewolf thing. If anything happens to Remus, he will know"

"So he's alive" spitted Hermione

"Yeah" he said simply. 

Hermione squinted at him, knowing that something was not right. Harry had the same feeling he had with Dumbledore, as though Hermione was trying –and succeeding- in reading his mind.

"Is everything alright, Harry?"

"Yeah, why? I mean, no, nothing's alright, but what do you mean?"

"You look… weird"

"No. Not at all. Come on, we're late for transfiguration" he grabbed his things, which Ron was holding, and opened the door, rushing past the piercing gaze of his friend.

"I think he's up to something, Ron" said Hermione as they walked to the transfiguration classroom.

"Well, if he is, you can't blame him, can you?"

"But what if he tries something dangerous?"

"Oh Harry's not that daft"

"No, he's not, but still… " She walked, wallowing in her thoughts and suspicions, uneasy about something. For some reason, Hermione's mind was full of the previous day's Defense against the Dark Arts lesson about the Dark Arts spells…


	4. The Luring

Title: Forgetting Innocence (4/6)

Author: Fabs G.

Summary: Sequel to Faking Innocence. Harry & friends happily return to Hogwarts after the Christmas holidays, not knowing that Voldemort already has a plan between his hands.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: slight Sirius/Remus. Hints of Ron/Hermione but not until the last chapter.

Warnings: Contains very mild slash (just some kisses, people!)

Disclaimer: Lovely Joanne owns nearly everything here! All I own here is the plot, Professor Fengel and Methilda Shotclear

A/N: As always, this makes much more sense if you read the previous two fics (Judging Innocence and Faking Innocence, both at ff.net), mainly because this is part three of the Innocence series. This although, is much darker than the previous one. The basic you have to know: Sirius is free, he's romantically involved with Remus and they're both teaching at Hogwarts.

Enjoy! Review!

------------------------------ CHAPTER 4: The Luring 

Hagrid was devastated when he knew. The marauders had been as close to him as Harry, Ron and Hermione were, so kidnapping Remus was to him as someone kidnapping Ron or Hermione.

One afternoon when Harry was doing his share of cheering up his godfather, Ron and Hermione went over to Hagrid's to do their share of cheering up.

Hagrid looked miserable. He served the tea without the tea bags and when Ron asked for some milk, he put the tea bags in the jar of milk. 

Only after they assured him Dumbledore would do anything to get Remus back Hagrid stopped moping and they felt sure enough to leave him.

Professor Trelawney limited herself to say that 'the fates had informed her of the sorrowful event' and she had said it a good amount of times when Harry could not take it anymore and exploded.

"If you really knew he was going to be kidnapped, why didn't you warn him?"

"Because we are not supposed to interfere with the events, my dear"

"With that line of thought, you helped Voldemort capture him"

Apart from the usual flinch of hearing Voldemort's name, the class fell silent and professor Trelawney, for once, did not reply. Seamus, Dean, Neville and Ron cheered at him, delighted that she didn't reply with anything insane.

Defense against the Dark Arts was again being taught by Snape and now the Gryffindors had to endure having him in not one but two subjects. This time, however, he limited the number of sneers and retorts, probably owing because this time Voldemort was involved. This, however, did not make the DADA hours anything less than torture. Not one week had passed and Ron and Harry had already earned two detentions and lose 50 points to Gryffindor.

Harry's mind, however, was not occupied with Hagrid, Divination or Snape. Sirius was having one of the worst times ever, but true to his nature, did not show it past his private chamber. His classes and the humor in them hadn't changed a bit, but Harry knew better.

He cracked jokes, dripped sarcasm all over the place as usual and the girls were sighing after him as usual too. But Harry knew his eyes weren't the same. Half of the time, he didn't smile earnestly. He often went to Sirius' classes and watched him from afar, Sirius completely oblivious to this. Or so it seemed.

It was now a week Remus had been kidnapped. Harry was watching Sirius teach to Ginny's class, her flaming red head unmistakable among the rest. Many of the girls followed his every move, although Harry had the strong suspicion it wasn't because of the Elastic arms charm.

"To give you a better idea of this charm" he said "I will need a voluntary." No one seemed to want their arms stretched beyond recognition. "A voluntary such as the bespectacled young man standing just outside the doorway." Everyone turned their heads to look at a surprised Harry. "Come on, Harry, gives us a hand. Or rather an arm. Or two" he smirked as Harry made his way through the maze of desks. He knew better than getting his way out of it and even if he could have, he wouldn't have done it. One of the few things that really cheered Sirius up was charming someone so he stood in front of Sirius, resigned to whatever was coming.

"No one watches my classes without participating in them or being a test subject" he said as every pair of eyes in the room centered on either Sirius or the boy who lived. Harry tried his best to ignore Colin.

Sirius placed Harry in one corner of the classroom and then turned his head towards Ginny "Ginny, please go stand in the corner opposite Harry's. I swear your limbs won't be stretched in the least" Ginny giggled at him and stood up.

Sirius pointed his wand at Harry and said "_Lastico!_"

It felt as though someone was pulling him from both his arms. The nice thing was that he felt no pain and considering Harry's history that was a first. 

"See if you can reach Ginny" Harry stretched his arm –which seemed a stupid thing to do, now that it was over 4 feet long and growing- but did as told. He reached Ginny easily, and made her twirl like in a dance or grabbed her hand as Sirius instructed for the others to see how the arm still had all his normal functions, only 10 feet longer.

"Bend the elbow now. See? The arm acts normally, the blood still flows and bones are still fragile. The only thing that has changed is the length"

Harry could see why Sirius hadn't stop teaching. It clearly erased everything from his mind- at least for a couple of hours. He was at ease in front of the class, and his marauder experience at charming everything that stood still for longer than a second clearly had been a great help. The girls liked him, the boys pleaded for him to teach him pranks and the rest of the kids who were still scared of him were slowly learning not to be. 

As the bell rang, he gave them their homework and walked with Harry to the Great hall. It was lunchtime.

"So watching my classes, Mr. Potter?"

"I had a free afternoon"

"Harry. I saw you last week." Harry chuckled. It wasn't easy to get something past Sirius. "Something you want to talk about?"

"No. Everything's…" he was about to say 'good' "…as normal as it can get. Just-"

Sirius interrupted him. "Keeping an eye on me?"

Harry chuckled. It was unnerving the way Sirius was getting to know him or seemed to already know him. Maybe his father's hair and poor eyes wasn't the only thing Harry had gotten from him.

They arrived at the Great Hall just as an owl swept over Dumbledore's head, dropped a letter in his opened hands and flew out of the open window again. Not knowing from whom it was, he opened it in front of everyone, just as both Sirius and Harry took their places. 

The letter emitted a cloud of green smoke and a small dark mark appeared and rose high over Dumbledore's white head. (The Dark Mark hovered there for hours until Snape remembered the counter spell and made it fade away.) 

The letter said simply: _He is still alive_. 

Dumbledore was fuming. He stormed out of the Great Hall and locked himself in his study for the rest of the day, trying every location spell that did not belong to the Dark Arts and owling every single one of his contacts.

That same night, Sirius paid a visit to Harry in the Gryffindor common room. Luckily, it was empty. He did not like prying eyes. Harry was close to the fire, reading a book. He was so engrossed in it he didn't notice his godfather entering.

"Boo" he said in a low voice.

Harry jumped a bit "I didn't notice you"

"Evidently. What's so good that you don't notice me?"

"Oh. Just a book Hermione recommended" he showed Sirius the book. It was Hairy Snout, Human Heart.

Oddly, Sirius smiled a sad smile. "Rem wrote that" he said in a hoarse whisper.

"What?" he said in a small voice. He unconsciously clutched the book tightly.

"In our 6th year. He spent two years writing it and modified events and places enough for anyone not to recognize him. He was delighted when it got published. He called James, Lily and me and made us read it. Only after we told him we loved it as the rest of the world had he confessed he had written it. He had the hand-written manuscripts to prove it"

"It's beautiful. I found Hermione crying over it once. I thought she was overreacting- you know Hermione- but she was right"

A sad silence settled between godfather and godson.

"He'll be back, Sirius"

"Oh I know. I know he will. He's got to. What I'm worried about is how he will be when he gets back"

"He'll be fine, Sirius" he hated seeing Sirius hurting so much. It had been enough time waiting. He knew Dumbledore was working, as Sirius was, but there was one very easy way to get Remus back. He was going to do something. Except-

"No, Harry"

"No what?"

"Don't play innocent with me, I know you more than you think. You will not go after Voldemort, hear me?"

"How would I?" He was playing the fake ignorance card again "I don't know where he is"

"That's never stopped you before." said Sirius matter-of-factly. Harry, not knowing what to reply, simply stared back at the book in his hands.

Ron woke up late the next day, a Sunday. He looked at Harry's bed, but found it neatly arranged, as though he hadn't slept there at all. Panicking, fearing that Voldemort had stricken again, he rushed downstairs in his pyjamas and found Hermione measuring an essay.

"Have you seen Harry?"

"No" she said, and turned to look at him "I thought he was sleeping. He wasn't at breakfast"

Ron looked at the far corner of the common room where Lavender was talking to Parvati Patil "Lavender" he called "You haven't seen Harry, have you?" Both girls shook their heads.

He looked back at Hermione and then got very close to her. "You haven't- you haven't seen a rat here, have you?" he asked in a very small voice.

Hermione looked to the rug in front of the fire, where Crookshanks was washing himself with the utmost dedication "Crookshanks has been chasing rats compulsively since our third year"

Ron jerked his head upstairs, and Hermione followed him to his dormitory. He opened Harry's trunk and to his very luck, found the Marauder's map in it. He grabbed his wand, opened the map and both friends bumped their heads closer, searching the map.

Sirius was in his private chamber. Snape, in his office. Dumbledore, as usual in the past days, in his own office, pacing all along the office. Filch was patrolling the third floor and Harry… Harry was in the library.

Both friends breathe a sigh of relief.

"Ron…" called Hermione. "Look where he is"

The library was big enough for them to distinguish the different sections even in the map. Harry was in an unusual corner… a corner that, if Hermione wasn't mistaken, belonged to the Forbidden section. 

Ron checked the trunk once more "He's got his dad's cloak"

"Leave him to me" she said, and ran from the dormitory.

Hermione walked into the library quietly, trying to look as if she was there to just find a book. She went into a hall where one of the shelves limited with the Forbidden Section.

"Harry!" he whispered through a gap in the books "I know you're there!" The Forbidden section wasn't that big. Wherever he was, he must have heard her. "Harry! Come out! Harry!"

Someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around, fully expecting to find herself face to face with Madam Pince. Instead, she found herself staring into nothing.

"Shh!" said Harry's voice, coming from exactly in front of her. He took out his cloak and quickly stuffed it under his robes. "What is it?"

"What were you doing there, Harry?" she kept her voice in a whisper

"It's the library. What can I be doing?"

"In the forbidden section? What were you looking for?" 

"You've no right to accuse me like that" he said, as though being under an invisibility cloak in the forbidden section of a library was perfectly normal.

"It's evidently not for homework or you would've asked Sirius. _I know you Harry_"

She had stricken a nerve. She was absolutely right on everything.

"I have to find him"

"Leave that to Dumbledore and Sirius"

"They are getting nowhere! Peter Pettigrew now has a silver hand. You do remember what silver does to werewolves, don't you? Pettigrew doesn't even need a wand to kill him. I have to do something before the full moon or Voldemort will make him bite people or kill people or unleash him on me or who knows what else" Evidently, Hermione had not thought of this. She took her hand to her mouth, horrified. "I don't want Remus going through that, it would kill him. If I want to get him before the full moon, it means I have two weeks. And If I have to use the Dark Arts for it, then so be it"

"Harry, you know the dangers of performing one of those spells. You can't-"

"Voldemort wants me, then he will have me!"

"No!" she cried.

Harry did not know why he was so angry at her, because she meant well, she was worried about him, but he still raised his voice at her, angry. "What if it was _your_ family? What if it was your mum or your dad who was trapped in Voldemort's hands? What would you do?"

Hermione's voice became very serious. She seemed older than she really was. "Probably the same thing you are doing now, Harry. But this is not about me, it's about you. If you don't come with me now and promise me to not go back to the Forbidden Section… I will tell Sirius, Harry"

"I don't care. Tell him. Publish it in the Daily Prophet if you want" he threw the Invisibility cloak back over himself again and disappeared from Hermione's view. 

She scoffed loudly as she heard his footsteps back in the Forbidden Section. After a second's doubt, she left the library and headed to Sirius' private chamber.

That night, Harry lay sprawled on his bed, writing an essay for History of Magic. Ron and Neville where there too. Ron was reading Flying with the Cannons and Neville was doing the same essay as Harry. 

The door of the dormitory banged open and Sirius entered. "Ron, Neville, could you leave us alone?"

Neither Ron nor Neville dared contradict him. His expression was much too grave for this. They both rushed past Sirius, who was holding the door opened. He closed it after they left. Harry sat crossed-legged over his bed.

"Did I tell you Voldemort killed my parents?" started Sirius.

Though this surprised Harry greatly, he found himself asking something completely different "Hermione told you, right?"

He did not listen to him. "Dad was a muggle, but mum was a witch. A pretty good one, she was training to be an auror. Voldemort got them when they were at home. Killed mum, dad was merely an… extra bonus. They died when I was in my 7th year. I knew my parents very well so I won't pretend I know how you feel about yours. But I know what it is to lose people who are part of your life- I don't want it to happen again. And that goes to you. Yes, Hermione told me you are trying to find out where Voldemort is- using the Dark Arts. Harry- if the Dark Arts are our only choice, leave that to Dumbledore. He will figure out how to do it. I will not lose you, you understand?"

"It's just a spell!" How could Sirius not be any more desperate about it?

"It's a Dark arts spell! I know Remus told you about them! The power behind it might consume anyone! Specially you, you are a parselmouth because of him, because of what he put in you. Who knows what else a Dark Arts spell can trigger in you! It can change you, kill you in life!"

"I don't care. I want to find Remus"

"I do too but I will not help you with this. You have no idea where you're getting into."

"So you're just going to sit here idle hands, teaching and doing nothing?" the anger. The anger flowing through every vein in his body.

"Harry!"

"I care about him! I want him back!" he yelled "I thought you loved him!"

"I've been in love with him since I was 14 years old! I also want him back, bloody-" Both were now so angry at everything and at nothing, he stopped himself before going any further. He lowered his voice and it hurt Harry to hear all the pain there was in it "I know what it is to lose someone when you least expect it. I knew it with my parents, with my best friends and now the man I'm in love with. If Dumbledore and I leave to rescue Moony, Voldemort will come to you. If I stay, Voldemort will either kill Moony or make him make things Moony would rather commit suicide before doing. I'm in a tough position, Harry. Don't make it any worse." He turned to leave, opened the door and looked back at Harry "Madam Pince has been warned. She's put up a shield. So I suggest you not go back"

Harry breathed deeply. Anger still flowing through his body, he wiped his bed clean of parchment and quills, spilling his inkbottle all over the floor. Not caring in the least, he closed the curtains of his bed and threw himself flat over his stomach. He didn't care. Let Dumbledore put a thousand shields if he wanted. 

He had already found the spell he needed.


	5. The Dark Lord

Title: Forgetting Innocence (5/6)

Author: Fabs G.

Summary: Sequel to Faking Innocence. Harry & friends happily return to Hogwarts after the Christmas holidays, not knowing that Voldemort already has a plan between his hands.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: slight Sirius/Remus. Hints of Ron/Hermione but not until the last chapter.

Warnings: Contains very mild slash (just some kisses, people!)

Disclaimer: Lovely Joanne owns nearly everything here! All I own here is the plot, Professor Fengel and Methilda Shotclear

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to post!! The end of chapter 4 caught me starting uni again, and as I broke my leg, I'm in a wheelchair. It's not easy. But here is chapter 5. Sorry again!

A/N2: There's a part where Harry has to measure a liquid. I have no idea how you nice people in the UK measure liquids, so I used litres, which I'm familiar with. 

Enjoy! Review!

------------------------------ CHAPTER 5: The Dark Lord 

A week had passed since Hermione had discovered him in the Forbidden section. Harry looked outside the window and to the sky, where the crescent moon was still high outside and the stars still shone brightly. It was well before dawn, but Harry needed the time until breakfast to check on his potion, brewing in a lost secret room in the castle. Harry got up from his bed and dressed silently, putting all his care in not waking Ron, Dean, Neville or Seamus. 

Ron, however, was already up.

"Where are you going?" he whispered just as Harry had grabbed his bag.

Harry spun around, completely oblivious of Ron sitting at the edge of his bed. "I- I can't sleep anymore" he tried. Hopefully, Ron would believe him. 

"I'll come with you"

"NO!" he said in a loud voice before stopping himself. He looked around, hoping against all hope the other three boys would still be asleep. Different ranges of snores confirmed it, "No, you stay. Try to sleep. I've been up for hours"

"You think I'm stupid, Harry?" Before Harry could say anything Ron grabbed Harry by his elbow and steered him down to the common room. While Harry slumped into one of the armchairs and felt very much like a murderer in trial, Ron simply stood before him. "You think I'm stupid?"

"Ron, what-?"

"I know what you're doing, Harry!"

"Why does Hermione have to tell everyone?" said Harry, more to himself than to Ron. 

"Because she's worried. Besides, I saw you in the Forbidden Section with the Marauder's map. She only filled in the blanks"

"You of all people should know what I'm feeling Ron" Harry could feel the anger flowing again through his body. He seemed to be getting angry easily lately.

"What are you talking about?"

"When Voldemort took Ginny. In our second year. You of all people should know how it is to have someone in your family kidnapped and have no idea if they're dead or alive" 

"This is different Harry" said Ron with a voice that let through just how much it was taking him to keep control of himself.

"No it isn't!"

"Yes it is!" Ron finally exploded "I didn't use a Dark Arts spell. I didn't even rescue my sister, you did! The people's hero!"

Harry scoffed exasperated "Oh no. Oh is that what all this is about?" Ron didn't answer. He merely crossed his arms and stared at Harry, as angry as Harry had seen him only once. In their fourth year, when he had been chosen the fourth Triwizard champion. 

He stood up and grabbed his bag tighter. "Today or tomorrow I'm going to get Remus from Voldemort's hands. Who knows, you might get lucky and your professor might return all alone. Then you'll have no one to be jealous of" he pushed the portrait of the fat lady open and left a very troubled Ron behind.

Harry tiptoed silently towards the end of the fifth floor corridor. He checked the map again, assuring no one was near and stood before a coat of armor. He opened the visor, put his hand inside and emerged with a large silver key chain. From the end of it, a mini wand hanged sparkling slightly. He inserted the mini wand in a tiny hole in the wall behind the coat of armor. The wall slide sideways and let Harry squeeze thorough it into an extremely small room he found by pure chance once when he had been under the invisibility cloak and with the map in his hands.

He lighted the candles with his wand, threw the invisibility cloak, the map and his bag into a chair and concentrated on a large cauldron bubbling in the middle of the room. 

He checked again the page he had nicked from the book in the Forbidden section.

Instant Location Potion 

Try this when you want to locate someone. It works better if you want to locate a possible victim of murder, but it works for people you care about too. 

You will need: **Textual words that had once been said by the person to be located **(To be said to the potion just before adding the ingredients)****

                      Three Doxy teeth

**                      Ten Billywig Stings**

**                      ¼ litre Dragon blood**

**                      Powdered root of Asphodel**

**                      Wormwood powder**

**                      Your own blood **

Add at your blood at the very last, after boiling and right before taking the potion__

Harry had had a hard time finding all by himself some of those things. The words from "the person to be locate" had been an easy one: all he had done was read a passage from Hairy Snout, Human heart. Dragon blood had been easy too, they had studied it thousand of times in potions. Asphodel and wormwood too, but the Doxy teeth had proven a challenge. He had gotten it just in time and in order not to lose the time of brewing, he had had to come to the cauldron and add them in the dead of the night.

He looked into the cauldron once again and relieved, saw it had turned into a nice shade of dark green, with black bubbles exploding in its surface every now and then. 

Trembling slightly, he realized that all what was left for the potion to work was his blood. He could go get Remus as soon as the next minute.

Not doubting once, he took a knife from his robes- and left it behind, going back to his bag to grab two vials of a yellow liquid- Portkey Potion. As he had no idea where he was going to end up- or if was going to end up somewhere at all- he thought a portkey would come quite useful to the time of leaving- if he had the chance to leave at all, he reminded himself. He pocketed the Portkey Potion together with his wand. 

He returned to the cauldron, took the knife again and made a slight cut in his left arm, careful to make all the blood drop inside the bubbling liquid. As he bandaged his arm, the dark green liquid turned purple and then red with a series of sparks. Minutes later, it returned to the same shade of green again. He reached into his bag again and took a goblet out of it, filling it with the nasty-smelling liquid. 

He took a sip of it- absolutely disgusting. He finish the goblet and just when he thought it hadn't worked, he felt as thought someone was pulling him forward. He tried to walk backwards, not wanting to crash on the cauldron in front of him, but realized that he wasn't in the room anymore. He wasn't even at Hogwarts. 

The potion seemed to have worked, after all.

Everything in front of him was a confused blur, but he was still able to distinguish places. He saw Hogsmeade rush past him. It was as though watching a speeded up film of someone walking very fast. 

After about half an hour, clutching the wand in his pocket tightly, he felt himself bump headlong with something and fell to the ground. He looked up- he was in the hallway of a very large house, and had fallen right in front of a door. He got up from the floor, checked that the Portkey vials weren't broken, and looked around, hoping no one had seen him.

Had the potion worked or was he just stranded somewhere all alone? This house looked as abandoned as a house could look- cobwebs, dust, even blood. He looked at the door in front of him- if the potion had worked, then Remus should be somewhere near- maybe behind this door. He reached for the handle- and jumped backwards when a moan came from inside the room.

"Remus?" he whispered

Silence. Then…

"Harry?" called in a whisper Remus' voice from inside.

Harry opened the door magically with the Alohomora charm, locked it behind him and looked into the room- it was absolutely dark. He took his wand from his pocket and waved it around, lighting a few candles.

The sight that met his eyes was one he would never forget. Remus was curled up in a ball in one corner of the room. His robes, torn in several places, were heavily bloodstained and his face and arms had so many bruises purple seemed to be the main color of his skin. He had a long bleeding gash across his arm, which he was covering with one of the ripped sleeves of his robe. His hands were tied and were cutting through his wrists, bleeding slightly.

Harry run to him, kneeling down besides him and cut the ropes of his hands. Before any other thought crossed their minds, both hugged as though they were father and son. Harry took his wand and performed a simple clotting spell on his several cuts. 

"Harry, you should be here! What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"You don't want to know"

"Harry…"

"We can talk about this later, alright?" he left his wand on the ground and took an empty inkbottle from his pocket. He placed it on the ground. He reached into his other pocket and took one of the vials of Portkey Potion, dropping the liquid on the ink bottle while he said 'Hogwarts!'

They both reached their hands to touch the inkbottle but just in that moment, the door of the room burst open and Peter Pettigrew entered, wand in hand.

"Accio Inkbottle!" he said, and the inkbottle soared past Harry, crashing against the wall besides Pettigrew.

"Peter please!" started Remus, but it was no use.

"Expelliarmus!" and Harry's wand flew from his hand just as he had taken a hold of it. Pettigrew caught it before it crashed like the inkbottle. "The Dark Lord wants to see you, Potter. Walk. Both of you" He pointed his wand at them and, having no option, they walked in front of Pettigrew. 

Pettigrew did not look into Remus' eyes once.

He steered them downstairs, along a long corridor and finally into a very large room. Fire crept in a fireplace, and an armchair was placed in front of it. There were a few scattered sofas and chairs around. 

Pettigrew pushed them inside the room and retreated to a corner. Harry's wand still hung limply from one of his hands.

"Welcome, Harry Potter" said a cold voice. A tall thin figure rose from the armchair, its red eyes unmistakable. Lord Voldemort. "How noble to come to the rescue of the werewolf. I didn't think you'd have the courage enough to face me voluntarily after our small… encounter last year but oh my… I was wrong"

"You bastard" said Harry "If you want me why don't you get me instead of others?"

"Harry, no!" whispered Remus.

"If you say so…" said the cold voice of Voldemort "_Crucio_!" Harry fell to the ground, writhing in pain from the unforgivable curse. 

"No! Stop!" yelled Remus, knowing it was no use "Peter please!" he looked at his former friend, quivering in the corner and avoiding looking at either Remus or Harry, still screaming from the pain. "I don't believe you!" he said, anger flowing through him "We used to be friends! I know you feel guilty! I know you miss stuff!"

"Wormtail, be nice and kill the werewolf. You right silver hand will do." said Voldemort, still torturing Harry.

Remus got a step closer to Pettigrew. He was in perfect reach of his hand, but he had to convince Peter. "Peter, listen to me! I know you can't change what you did to James, but do something for him and let me save his son! Give me Harry's wand!" 

Voldemort, tired of Remus' incessant shouting and of Pettigrew's disobedience, redirected his wand from Harry to Remus. Harry crawled on the floor shouting not from pain but desperation. Remus was not paying attention to Voldemort, who was raising his wand and pointing at Remus. Harry shouted, knowing he was about to watch another death at the hands of Voldemort. And this time it wasn't someone he fairly knew. It was someone he knew too much. Someone that would hurt.

Remus hadn't given up. "I heard you when you called the Wolfsbane 'killjoy' I know you fear us, but also miss us! Hand me Harry's wand! Wormtail!" he hissed. The sound of Peter's old nickname coming from Remus' lips and not Voldemort's seemed to make all the difference in the world for Pettigrew. Still trembling violently, he stretched his hand, looking at Remus in the eyes for the very first time in years and he tossed him Harry's wand. He then kneeled down, curling up into a very small ball in the corner, watching the scene with his watery eyes, knowing exactly who he wanted to die and who he wanted to live.

Remus whirled around and saw Voldemort pointing his wand at him. Both voices shouted the same curse with the same hatred.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

Not aware of the particular effect it had when Voldemort and Harry's wand dueled against each other, Remus opened his eyes as wide as plates when he saw that the two wands connected.

"Don't break the connection!" shouted Harry, scrambling to his feet "Don't break the connection! Mum and dad are coming!"

Remus looked at Harry, who was now by his side, as though he had gone mad. He was probably going to ask something but the shadowy figures of Cedric Diggory, Bertha Jorkins and Frank Bryce, the Riddle's gardener, emerged for the wand. Cedric smiled at Harry. They retreated, getting closer to Voldemort and looking at him straight in his red eyes. Voldemort, although he was now aware of their shadows, still looked afraid of them.

Another shadow emerged from Voldemort's wand. This time it was a redhead and Lily Potter fell to the ground. Harry looked at Remus, eyes watering heavily and shaking from head to foot. Harry clutched Remus' hand, keeping the wands connected.

"Lily" he whispered.

Lily Potter barely had time to smile back when James emerged from Voldemort's wand. Harry's parents smiled at both Remus and Harry. 

"Hello Moony" said James to a very amazed Remus. "Hi Harry" his eyes darted to Peter for a second, but they didn't recognize any particular expression.

"You take care of my boy, okay Remus?" said Lily, as though they were alive and going on a long trip and not dead and in front of Lord Voldemort.

"James… Lily" Remus had a million things to say to them. He wanted to say how much he missed them, how he was sorry he hadn't been of help to prevent their deaths, how he was sorry he hadn't spotted Peter before, but words failed him completely. "I- I didn't-" 

James only smiled widely "You don't need his wand to be with us. Use the portkey, Harry"

Only now Harry realized he still had a vial of Portkey left in his pocket. He made sure Remus kept the connection alive and run to one of the fallen chairs around, picking it up and smashing it against the wall, where it broke to pieces. 

Behind Harry, more victims kept emerging from Voldemort's wand but they hardly paid any attention to Harry or Remus. 

Harry grabbed a long piece of wood that had once been a leg and run back to Remus side, placing the wood on the floor. 

"Break the connection Moony! And tell Sirius to stop blaming himself or I'll start haunting him!"

He saw him wave goodbye to his friend as he took the vial of portkey potion and dropped it over the wood, saying 'Hogwarts!'. The last they saw as they grabbed the portkey to Hogwarts was James, Lily and Cedric closing in on Voldemort, followed by dozens of other victims surrounding him completely, all of them smiling widely in the most perverse of ways.


	6. Returning

Title: Forgetting Innocence (6/6)

Author: Fabs G.

Summary: Sequel to Faking Innocence. Harry & friends happily return to Hogwarts after the Christmas holidays, not knowing that Voldemort already has a plan between his hands.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: slight Sirius/Remus. And finally in this chapter, hints of Ron/Hermione.

Warnings: Contains very mild slash (just some kisses, people!)

Disclaimer: Lovely Joanne owns nearly everything here! All I own here is the plot, Professor Fengel and Methilda Shotclear

A/N: Sorry it took SO long but I've been quite busy. Hoped you enjoyed it!

Enjoy! Review!

------------------------------ CHAPTER 6: Returning 

Harry felt himself fall to the ground heavily, facedown. He lingered a moment there, breathing, simply breathing. It felt good to breathe. He then got up, looking around. He kicked the portkey aside and went to Remus, helping him sit up.

"Remus? How are you?"

"Surprisingly happy" he answered. He was bleeding from his arm, wrists and stomach again but he was smiling. "What was that?"

"My parents? That was _Priori Incantatem_"

"The reverse spell effect?"

"Yeah. It happens when two brother wands duel against each other. Happened last year. Mum and dad helped me escape from Voldemort."

As Remus remembered James and Lily, tears threatened to made their way down their cheeks, but he swallowed them and instead hugged Harry. "Thanks Harry. I owe you a big one."

Harry only shook his head. "You would've done the same" he answered as he took his wand from Remus' hands and blasted the portkey to pieces.

"How did you find me?"

"Better later" Harry mumbled.

Remus squinted at him when a familiar voice yelled at them "REMUS!" They turned round and saw Hagrid running to them "I got out of me house to go to breakfast and saw you… Harry?"

"We're ok. Basically. Where's everyone, Hagrid? Where's Dumbledore and Sirius?"

"In the Great Hall, I s'pose. It's 8am" he looked at Remus, still sitting on the ground "Can you get up?" Hagrid put each of his arms under Remus' and easily raised him up.

Harry and Hagrid helped Remus walk. Now that he was safe in Hogwarts and no one was trying to kill them, the weight of the two weeks he had been kidnapped started dawning on him and his strengths were leaving him considerably fast. "Don't go through the front doors- there's a door to the right…" he clutched his side, breathing hard. 

"Yeah, I know." Said Hagrid "Come on"

Hagrid pushed the giant oak doors opened and they walked past the Great hall's door, from which the sound of the thousand of students having breakfast could be heard. They turned round a corner and after walking what looked like the Great hall's length, Harry found himself standing in front of a door, which Hagrid pushed open. Harry found himself staring at the professor's table from the right side of it, Sirius at the furthest end.

 "Look what I found" said Hagrid loudly and he moved so the teachers could see Harry and Remus behind them. The Great Hall gasped when they saw Remus, who was being held up only by Harry.

Dumbledore rose from his chair as soon as they saw Harry and Remus, eyes wide with surprise. Sirius simply leapt into a run. He hugged them both tightly and relieved Harry of Remus' weight. Not caring about anything, he kissed Remus hard on the mouth as though trying to choke him. Remus was evidently not so weak, because he kissed Sirius back, as though hanging on to a lifeline.

"Minerva" said Dumbledore "don't let any student out of this room. Morning classes are suspended"

Just as Dumbledore started ushering everyone out of the room, and of the prying eyes of the students, Ron and Hermione arrived at their side, panting and looking at Harry with extremely annoyed looks. Dumbledore let them come with them and closed the door behind them.

Dumbledore looked into Remus' tired eyes. "Don't let him fall asleep" he told Sirius and his eyes darted to Harry "I believe you owe us an explanation Harry- but let's leave that after we are sure Remus is alright"

Madam Pomfrey wasn't too happy about having so many people around a patient. She examined Remus, gave him a purple potion to cure any internal injuries and gave him a light green potion to numb his pain and cheer him up. She made him get in a bed, which he promptly refused. But Sirius was there and together with madam Pomfrey they made the most stubborn team ever. And truth be told, no one beat Sirius in getting Remus to bed…

Madam Pomfrey examined Harry too, found several bleeding cuts he had no idea had been there and also gave him a potion for internal injuries. Much to Harry's dismay, she made him get into a bed too (the one next to Remus) and although he complained, the Pomfrey-Black team was back and he had no choice but to obey. She said he had to stay there at least until the next morning.

She also said Remus and Harry needed sleep and rest, but Dumbledore insisted on listening to the events before making them fall asleep. Harry started at the very beginning- his eyes darted to Hermione and she told them of their little quarrel in the library. Harry's eyes then darted to Sirius, and he told Dumbledore of their fight, and how he had found the spell he needed that very same day. Sirius grimaced.

Then, together with Ron, they told them of their fight.

"When Harry left" said Ron "I went to sleep. I only told Hermione when I didn't see him at breakfast"

"We were going to wait until after breakfast. If he didn't show up, we were going to tell you but then they showed up"

Harry told Dumbledore the details of his spell, and Remus found it aberrant that he had run that risk only for him. The truth was he was also flattered and was barely able to conceal it.

Harry told everyone how he got transported, he told of Pettigrew, of Voldemort- and then Remus had to go on. 

"Peter- Peter helped you?" said Sirius in disbelief.

Remus nodded "Not only that, he completely ignored Voldemort's order to kill me." Sirius leaned back in the chair he was sitting, letting this information sink in "He seemed to react when I called him Wormtail. He tossed me Harry's wand and the wands connected"

"Priori incantatem again?" asked Dumbledore, bewildered.

"Yes. Mum and dad seemed a little…" Harry looked at Remus.

"Relaxed. Not worried at all." Sirius chuckled "Very much like James, I know. Lily even asked me to take care of Harry. Like I needed her warning"

They went on with the story, and Dumbledore seemed delighted that his victims had taken their revenge on Voldemort. True, they hadn't been able to hurt him at all, but it wasn't many times that you got Voldemort truly scared. 

As Sirius and Remus talked, Dumbledore moved to sit on Harry's bed. 

"Do you remember the talk we had when Remus resigned two years ago?"

"When Pettigrew escaped? Yes"

"Remember what I told you? 'The time may come when you will be very glad-"

"-very glad you saved Pettigrew's life'" finished Harry "I remember. Only now I understood what you meant"

As madam Pomfrey heard them drift from what had happened, he ushered everyone out of the room. Or rather, threw them out of the room, allowing only Sirius to stay, just in case if they woke up with nightmares (which Remus probably would) or with pain (which both probably would, too).

Everyone was so happy to have Remus back and relatively sound that they didn't want to leave, but the light green potion's effect was wearing now and he was beginning to feel tired, drained and depressed again. He had a long time to recover until the hurt from the two weeks' worth of daily Cruciatus curses wore off, and like Sirius said he better start with a nice long day of dreamless sleep.

Before they left, Harry called Ron and Hermione and gave them instructions so they could retrieve the invisibility cloak, the marauder's map and his bag from the secret room the dark arts potion had been brewed

"Take this" said Sirius, to both of his protégées, after everyone had left "You need the sleep, even if it's 10am"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Harry" said Remus "but he needs the sleep too, doesn't he?"

"Very much" Harry knew perfectly well Sirius hadn't had a proper night's sleep since Remus had been taken.

"Then you take one too, Sirius"

"No. I'll sleep normally so I can be here if any of you wake up." He gave Harry his dreamless potion and moved to sit on Remus' bed. 

Harry was watching the scene faking sleep, with his eyes barely opened. 

Sirius checked Harry was as asleep and looked back at Remus "I'm so glad you're ok." said Sirius to Remus "It was hell without you"

"I know." Said Remus, and placed one of his hands in the back of Sirius' neck "I was in it" Sirius leaned in and kissed Remus, and for a few minutes, Remus' world was completely void of Voldemort.

Harry's lips widened into a huge smile.

They parted and Sirius grabbed the small bottle that had been forgotten over the bedside table "Take the potion. Both of you"

Harry gave up and sat up, taking his own potion from the place between his sheets where he had hid it "Can't I get anything past you?"

"Your father had a hard time with it, you're going to have an even harder time"

"Sirius?" called Remus' sleepy voice.

"Yes, love?"

"I've got a message from a certain someone. James said you should stop blaming yourself or he'll start haunting you. And of course we wouldn't want that…" and he finally fell asleep.

As he took his potion, Harry saw Sirius smile and kiss Remus' forehead and move on to him and sit on his bedside.

"Did James really say that or is Remus just too tired?"

Harry smiled "He did, I heard him. And he looked like he meant it"

"Of course he did, it'd be so much fun to him… Harry, promise me you'll never perform another Dark Arts spell"

"Sirius…"

"I owe you my life and my peace of mind because of it, but promise me you won't perform another Dark Arts spell"

Harry smiled at him, the potion already making effect "I promise"

"Good. Now sleep or I'll be the one haunting you" as Sirius finished saying those words, Harry fell into the most peaceful sleep, resting a tiredness he did not know he had.

Neither Remus nor Harry realized Sirius did not sleep at all.

Harry woke up about twelve hours later, rested as though he had slept for a week. He saw Remus was still sleeping but Sirius was nowhere to be seen. He got up and walked to the nearest window. The grounds outside were dark, barely illuminated by the crescent moon high in the sky. He leaned on the window frame, unable to think of anything else but how close Remus had been to being used by Voldemort. 

"I leave you one second to go to the bathroom and you already disappear?" whispered a voice behind him. Harry turned and found Sirius walking to him in dim silver light the moon poured in on the Hospital Wing. Harry did not miss his sideway glance at Remus, checking if he still was asleep.

"I slept for twelve hours. I'm tired of being in bed"

Sirius reached the window where Harry was and looked outside. Hagrid's hut was visible from where they were looking. They saw Hagrid go outside to fetch something, and return back inside. A few seconds later, a column of smoke emerged from the chimney. He was probably cooking.

Harry's thoughts drifted to the spell he performed. While brewing it, he had had the feeling of everyone fighting with him, everyone being mad at him for no reason… Hermione, Ron, Sirius, everyone seemed to want to pick a fight with him… What power was in that spell he did not know, but it had twisted his view of the world too much.

Sirius' voice interrupted his reverie. "Knut for you thoughts"

"I'm sorry" said Harry.

"What for?"

"For what I said to you back in my dormitory, about you being idle hands and doing nothing. I don't know what made me say it. I know you love him, I know you were working, I just…"

"It was the spell, Harry. It begins affecting you even when you still haven't started brewing it. I can't say it didn't hurt then but when I knew what you had your hands into… Don't blame yourself. You did bring Remus safe after all"

Harry and Sirius felt a tap on their shoulders. They grimaced, thinking Madam Pomfrey had been awoken by their whispers, but when they turned round, they found absolutely no one.

"Hermione? Ron?"

"Yes, it's us" whispered Hermione's voice under the invisibility cloak

"Where's Madam Pomfrey?" asked Ron.

"Asleep. Take the cloak off this feels weird" It did indeed feel weird talking to the air and having the air answering you back.

Hermione and Ron materialized in front of them.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" asked Hermione.

"Look who's talking, Ms. Prefect" answered Harry, making Ron chuckle.

"We just came to see how you were doing" said Ron, looking at Remus, who was still fast asleep.

"I'm fine" he answered "Did you- did you happen to hear what Sirius and I were talking about?" 

"Yeah, and if you're going to apologize, save it. We understand." Said Hermione, smiling

"Really?" he looked at Ron, whose fight had been a little more eloquent.

"Totally"

"See why professor Lupin told us to never ever try a dark arts spell?"

"Can't miss a chance to brag on what she knows, can she?" said Ron, winking at Sirius and Harry.

"Ahem" said someone. They all turned to face Madam Pomfrey. "What is this, a social gathering?" she whispered. "You, back to bed. You, put him in bed. You two, back to your tower" she ordered and no one dared contradict her.

This time she did make Sirius took a dreamless potion and as much as he fought not to have it, she finally stepped on his foot and threw it down his throat. 

Because of his prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus curse, Madam Pomfrey made Harry stay in the hospital wing another day. The day he went back to classes though, was not an uneventful one. Dumbledore informed him and Sirius that Peter had been found unconscious in his Azkaban cell. Sirius refused to make any commentaries about it, most probably because they were in the hospital wing and he was taking care of Remus like if he was a very fragile baby.

No matter how much he fought, Madam Pomfrey made Remus stay in the hospital wing another four days. The day he let him go, at breakfast, she checked him one last time, making sure no wounds were bleeding and that he felt no pain whatsoever. She finally let him go when he reminded her that he would only be going to a room a few meters away.

It came as a surprise to everyone. Remus had made Sirius and Harry go to their classes and to lunch, claiming that he could walk perfectly well. When he entered the Great hall, through the same door Harry and Hagrid had carried him two three days earlier, everyone gasped surprised. When they got over the shock, the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables erupted into cheers. (The Slytherin table completely silent, of course)

Remus sat down in his place besides Sirius while Snape concentrated hard on his scrambled eggs, grabbing the fork so tight he was about to break it.

What nearly no one had noticed was that today was February 14th. Less than ten minutes after Remus arrived, what looked like the entire Owlery swept over the heads of students and professors, dropping a shower of letters.

Harry, being The Boy Who Lived, was never exempt of several pink and perfumed envelopes and while he was opening a particularly smelly one, he noticed two owls dropping anonymous letters for both Ron and Hermione.

Harry had walked in on Ron writing a card for Hermione the previous night. He struggled to see what he had written, but he kicked him out of the dormitory. He went down to the common room, where he noticed Hermione writing hers to none other than Ron. It sent him into such a fit of giggles he had to leave the Gryffindor tower to recover.

Harry, knowing they'd be too stubborn to admit anything else, had kept their secret. Still, he had no idea how they had actually gathered up the courage to send each other Valentine cards. 

Hermione read hers (light blue with red hearts), blushed a fierce crimson and stuffed it in her bag. Ron read his (light pink with red hearts) blushed as red as Hermione and also stuffed his in his bag. 

"Any signatures?" asked Harry _innocently_.

Both Ron and Hermione whipped around to glare at Harry, but when they noticed the other one was also looking at Harry they hastily returned to their breakfast.

"Oh my God" said Ron "look who got a card" Harry and Hermione looked where Ron was looking at noticed Snape was opening a red envelope. His face looked no different as if he was squeezing pus out of a bubotuber.

"Think Malfoy plucked up the courage?" said Harry.

Ron and Hermione snorted on his pumpkin juice, and the Gryffindor table howled with laughter.

"Well, he can't say he's the only teacher that's gotten something" said Hermione, looking at Sirius and fighting back at huge grin.

Sirius had received a good amount of cards, which the owls had dropped all over the place around him. There were cards in McGonagall's juice, Dumbledore's scrambled eggs and Remus' juice (the latter dissolving in laughter). Dumbledore looked merely amused as he passed Sirius some damped letters but McGonagall was looking at Sirius as though he was a student that had thrown several dungbombs in one of her classes.

Sirius finally gathered all the letters into a considerable pile and, among all the pink ones, he noticed a silver one. He took it from the pile, looked at it and then looked at Remus, who seemed extremely concentrated in refilling his goblet while smirking widely. Smiling widely, Sirius pocketed the silver card and returned to his breakfast.

An owl swept past several Gryffindor's heads and landed on Hermione's shoulder, dropping the Daily Prophet in her open hands. She took five knuts out of her pocket, placed them in the owl's bag and hastily opened the rolled up newspaper.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had been waiting for the Daily Prophet to publish something about Remus' kidnapping and his rescue for two weeks now. They had kept an eye on morning and evening editions, but no word had been written about him yet. 

"Today's the day, Harry" she said, reading the headline and stretching her hand past Ron so Harry could get a hold of the paper.

"Tell me it's not Rita Skeeter" Skeeter would have probably exploded with joy while writing the article if she knew Harry had rescued Remus.

"No, it's Sirius' friend, Methilda Shotclear"

Harry breathed relieved.

February 14th, 1996

HOGWARTS TEACHER KIDNAPPED BY PETER PETTIGREW 

**HE WAS RESCUED TWO DAYS AGO BY HARRY POTTER**

By Methilda Shotclear 

Hogwarts teacher Remus Lupin, known for being a werewolf and for being Sirius Black's best friend, was kidnapped two weeks ago by Peter Pettigrew, DeathEater and former friend of the two men. Pettigrew escaped from Azkaban three weeks ago and was found unconscious on his cell several days ago. 

The horrible suspicion of You-Know-Who being back to power seems to be getting stronger with every passing day. Two weeks ago, DeathEater Peter Pettigrew kidnapped Remus Lupin in his sleep. Pettigrew is said to be You-Know-Who's most loyal servant.

As everyone knows, Remus Lupin is Sirius Black's best friend. After Black's trial and freedom last summer, Lupin has been living with Black and Harry Potter himself. Lupin, Black, Pettigrew and Harry's late father, James Potter, were close friends at Hogwarts.

If this reporter's sources are correct, Lupin was at the mercy of You-Know-Who for two full weeks. Through means that still remain unknown, Harry Potter himself rescued Lupin and brought him back to Hogwarts, barely surviving unscathed.

Both Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge have been flooded with letters over the past days, though the contents are very different. 

Albus Dumbledore received letters from former schoolmates of Remus Lupin, including several worried parents, asking about his well-being. Cornelius Fudge's owls, meanwhile, included several howlers written by scared wizards and witches, demanding to know what he was doing to stop You-Know-Who from raising again. Fudge first answered there was no fear in him rising again but as Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody pointed out, if after 14 years there's still a minimal threat of it, it should be considered truly serious.

Owing to this, Fudge requested Dumbledore for a private conversation. Several hours later he emerged from his office and declared that work was indeed going to be done. He was going to send people to talk with the giants, preventing them from going to the dark side. He is also seriously considering either removing the dementors from Azkaban or at least hiring trained wizards to keep an eye on them.

Hoping that the suspicions of You-Know-Who's raise are completely unfounded, let's at least hope that the necessary measures are being taken to prevent that the darkest 11 years that still haunt many wizards and witches' minds will not happen again.

Several hours later, after the bell rang announcing the end of DADA and lunch, Remus called Harry back.

"Could I have a _private_ word?"  Ron and Hermione got the cue and left the classroom, closing the door behind them.

Behind Remus' desk, Sirius materialized out of nowhere, and Harry saw an invisibility cloak in his arm.

"You were watching?" asked Harry

"Yeah." He got to Remus desk and sat over the papers the class had just given him.

"Comfortable, are you?" said Remus looking at Sirius, who was dangling his legs happily.

"Very. Oh!" he leaned in a kissed him deeply "That's for the card"

They parted only to have Remus kiss Sirius again. "And this is for yours"

Harry cleared his throat "How about leaving the Valentine celebration for when you two are alone?"

"Good idea." Said Remus, smiling at Sirius "We wanted to ask you something"

"Sure" Harry settled himself in the desk right in front of Remus. Both grown ups had their eyes set on Harry.

"We have eyes. We watched Ron and Hermione during the Christmas holidays…  and during the lovely spell you put on us…" Harry fought back a laugh "How was valentine?"

"ARGH" was Harry's response, burying his face in his hands. "They send cards to each other and stare at each other in class, but no matter how much I talk to them, I can't persuade to ask each other out! It's infuriating!"

Remus and Sirius high-fived each other "We were ready to bet our wands about it!" said Sirius.

"Want us to help?"

"YES! I can't stand them anymore"

They told Harry the instructions to a very interesting charm to place on them while walking to the Great Hall. When they were finished, Harry was delighted.

"Well, if that doesn't get them to date at least I'll have some fun" said Harry, smiling as perversely as he could. "Guys?" asked Harry "You read the Daily Prophet today?"

"Yes. Doesn't mention you as often as it used to, does it?"

"Luckily… Do you think that will be enough? I mean, I know Voldemort's already back, but do you think the ministry will manage to stop him?"

Sirius spoke while Remus kept silent. "Well, you know the meeting Dumbledore had with Fudge?" Harry nodded "Fudge was reluctant to do anything. Scared out of his mind of being the minister of magic while Voldemort's back. Complete denial, I guess. Anyway, Dumbledore has been a little mad at the situation getting out of his hands and having one of his teachers –his best and most adorable teacher-" he added, flashing a crooked grin to Remus "kidnapped off Hogwarts itself, so he didn't suggest- he made Fudge do it. And you know how Dumbledore can get when he's mad… Dumbledore will manage to do everything he can to stop Voldemort. There's little to worry about when he's nearby"

Remus, though, looked quite gloomy.

"Oh cheer up, love" said Sirius, passing an arm behind his shoulders and hugging him tightly "You're back with us. Everything will be better from now on"

"Oh I don't know Sirius…" he said glumly.

Sirius opened his mouth to answer and had managed to say 'I' when a cold voice interrupted him "Oh, look at the happy family"

All three whirled around to find Snape walking a little while behind them.

"Hello _Sevvy_" said Sirius, not taking his arm of Remus' shoulders "How's it going?" Since he had shaken hands with him, he had changed the scowling for his classic taunting

"Wonderful until I saw you three" he said, without the merest trace of emotion.

"Oh I see" said Sirius, taking a step forward towards Snape, dragging a smirking Remus with him. "Of course. I mean, how wouldn't you be jealous? I have the best man, the best godson, Remus' got your beloved job of DADA teacher. Of course it's not wonderful to see us…"

Snape, also keeping himself in check after Dumbledore's request for a truce, sneered and scoffed and walked past them, pushing the Great Hall doors opened. When he was out of earshot all three burst into laughter.

"Oh I wish I could tell him stuff like that" said Harry, clutching his side.

Sirius frowned his brow "Why can't you?"

"Hello? I'm his student?"

"Oh right!" he slapped his forehead and Harry snorted at him.

"You know Sirius? After this" said Remus, jerking his head towards the opened Great Hall doors Snape had just crossed. His expression and his voice had changed completely. "I reckon things will get better"

And they entered the Great Hall, leaving behind all kind of worry and sadness.


End file.
